Atari is in the news again, this time with another partnership that makes sense, but did not see coming: coin-op!
Earlier this year, we covered the 10 Atari Recharged titles released and a new Atari press release announces they are working with Alan-1 to create coin-op versions of Atari Recharged titles.
Alan-1 (https://alan-1.com/) has a modernized Joust-like game called Avian Knights (Steam $14.99 regular price) that I purchased to check out with Hollywood Polo on Tuesday 3/19/2024 show. 8-player competitive mode sounds wild!
They also have an arcade version of Avian Knights with both 2-player and 4-player cabs that became available in October 2023, according to the website:
No prices or reviews for either of these Avian Knights coin-op cabinets are available on the Alan-1 website, so did some hunting around trying to find pricing and didn’t see anybody selling it besides Alan-1. My guess is they are/will be in line pricing with current modern coin-op cabs, which means new will be $10,000+.
Now, that we know more about Alan-1, let’s look at this announced partnership with Atari. It’s wise, I think, not to remake the classic games, but to focus on modern versions with Alan-1 being already in this space, both for consoles, PC and arcades. Intriguing that Alan-1 CEO James Anderson says the coin-op versions will be different.
While the list of what those games will be hasn’t been released yet, I spoke with James Anderson (Alan-1 CEO) and he reiterated that those games will NOT be the same as the home versions, receiving significant changes to gameplay and functionality so that they not only work for the arcade space, but that they also will retain the original title’s heart.
Arcade Heroes Atari Is Returning To Arcades With New Alan-1 Partnership – Arcade Heroes
Asteroids: Recharged is the best Recharged game to date, IMO (see: 10 Atari Recharged Steam/PC Games Ranked), so curious what sort of “significant changes to gameplay and functionality” will be realized in the Alan-1 Atari Asteroids: Recharged.
Jason Knapp found some pictures and published on his site, but doesn’t credit any source, so no idea where they came from(?). He also mentions a 4-player cab but in some pictures (not the one shown below) only three controls were showing. The 4-player cab pictured below looks like it has a big Raw Thrills TMNT-styled monitor. Maybe 45″+? Four quarter slots.
Photo credit: Knapp Arcade – source of original photo not shared
The press release indicates these machines will be available by Q4-2024. Based on my limited research, it looks like watching Alan-1 website will be the best place to look, but some searching on Reddit led to a thread created (Progress on our Prototype Avian Knights Cabinet @ Alan-1, Thoughts? : arcade (reddit.com) where they were still working on feedback from their prototype for Avian Knights a mere two months ago:
Puzzled? Guessing they have already decided on the design shown on the Alan-1 website. As for the Atari Asteroids Recharged cab design, Jason Knapp indicates they will be displaying the cabs at the Las Vegas Amusement Expo (https://www.amusementexpo.org/2024/Public/Enter.aspx) March 20 & 21, booth #1705. At least one of our PGM members lives in Las Vegas, so will be asking him if he’s planning on attending this show and checking out the Alan-1 booth.
Will update below when/if more is learned.
UPDATE 3/26/2024 @ 9:32pm PST: Live video footage via Alan-1 Twitter of their 2-Player Asteroids Recharged cab: